


A Game of Dragons

by joliemariella



Category: Fairy Tail
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-04-18 01:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4687232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joliemariella/pseuds/joliemariella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Constantly besieged by demons, the magical kingdom of Fiore joined forces with the dragon kingdom for the sake of defending their shared borders. As a result, the Dragoncorps was formed. Here, each dragon shares an unbreakable bond forged in blood with a chosen human for the sake of protecting their world...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which Lucy has a great deal of bad luck

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is a new side project I'll be working on. Unlike 'One Wish', there will not be regular, scheduled updates for this fic. Rather, it's something I'll just be working on in what little free time I have left over from other writing/drawing projects (of which there are many, not gonna lie XD )  
> The story itself is inspired by a fabulous piece of fanart asketchbookthing on tumblr did, curse them. I saw it and just...yeah I couldn't stop myself. Blame them >__>  
> Also, this story will be less Game of Thrones inspired than the title implies, lol, sorry. If you ever read the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, though, you'll no doubt notice a few nods to that, mostly in the bond between humans and dragons.

“Oh come on!” Lucy cried as a passing carriage splashed muddy water along the hem of her fine dress, marring the pale blue silk with a new stain. She stopped and shook an irate fist at the driver, but he paid her no attention.

Just call it one more instance of bad luck in a long string of it that had started two days before when she had, at long last, run away from home. Constantly attended by servants as she was in her family's ancestral castle, and with the deadline for the fulfillment of her lifelong dream fast approaching, Lucille Heartfilia had been forced to improvise to make her getaway. Conditions had been less than optimal, the short notice rendering all of her plans, and months of preparation, useless.

But no one, not even her father, the Duke of Era, was going to stop her from joining the Dragoncorps.

Unfortunately, to do that, a person had to attend a recruiting event where they would be assessed for possible compatibility with a dragon partner. Pass, and you were sent on to one of the brigade training facilities where you _might_ be so lucky as to be chosen by a dragon for a lifelong partnership spent fighting the demon menace that had been threatening both human and dragon kind for generations.

It was said that only humans with a great deal of dormant magic were capable of bonding with a dragon. Lucy had no idea if she even met this prerequisite, no one did until they were assessed. However, she held on to the fact that her own mother had been a member of the Dragoncorps like a lifeline, and prayed to all the gods that she had inherited some of her power.

Granted, there was no guarantee that you would actually be chosen by a dragon, even if you _were_ technically capable of bonding with one. In the end, she would just have to take it one step at a time and figure things out as she went.

Step one had been running away from home.

_That_ had been no easy task. Lucy had been making her plans on how to escape her father's watchful eye for months, subtly gathering funds for her trip before making a move. A single, large withdrawal from her private accounts would undoubtedly attract his attention, as the family accountant would definitely report such a request to her father the moment she made it. So, instead, she'd made up little expenditures here and there, and pocketed the money she was given for them, rather than actually spending it.

Her first real piece of bad luck had come when, the day before she was planning to make her escape to the capital for the Dragoncorps' final recruiting event of the year, her father had announced that a party of guests would be arriving to visit that afternoon.

Belatedly, Lucy realized that she should have seen this coming. The entire household had been preparing for the event for at least a week, but she had been so caught up in her own plans that it hadn't even registered. When nobility 'visited' one another, it tended to be for a month at least; every day full of outings and tea, banquets and balls...It was all enough to drive a girl quite mad, particularly when she had no particular fondness for these 'friends' of her father's.

More importantly, escape would be impossible once their guests arrived.

Ever since her mother's death years before, Lucy had been forced to step into the role of Lady of house Heartfilia. This would mean seeing to her guests needs and playing perfect hostess for so long as they stayed under her family's roof. She would be in someone's company constantly, barely able to go to the bathroom by herself, let alone anything else.

The bathroom.

Inspiration struck Lucy like lightning from on high as she fretted over her problem at the breakfast table, her father taking no notice of her distraction. She did, Lucy realized, have one ( _very_ ) small window of time during which she could potentially escape.

As she prepared for the arrival of their guests, she would be attended everywhere she went, even while she took her bath (servants seemed to be under the impression noble ladies were completely incapable of washing their own hair), but once she was dressed, she would be left alone to do her own makeup. It was something that she had insisted on for years, a habit that she had picked up from her own mother during those times she was home on leave when she was little.

The windows in most of the bathrooms of the house were far too small or high off the ground for her to escape through, but the windows of her ground floor dressing room were large and opened quite wide...

The brief note she left behind she addressed to her maids. In it, she apologized for the trouble her actions would no doubt give them, and reassured them that she had not, in fact, been kidnapped for ransom. However, she made no mention of her plans or her destination. Neither did she address her father in any way beyond a brief post script at the end of the letter telling him that he was not to fire her attendants for actions that were solely hers. They had, after all, been doing their jobs to a tee, and she couldn't blame them for that.

Lucy's second piece of bad luck had come in the form of an utter lack of supplies thanks to her abrupt change in plans. Her original intention had been to wait until dark had fallen and make her escape then, along with the new clothes and gear she had managed to purchase in secret for herself. However, with guests arriving, that meant there was likely to be a party that would stretch into the wee hours of the morning, and she would be expected to remain until everyone else had gone to bed.

With the deadline for the recruitment event so close, though, she couldn't afford to lose that much time.

In the end, all she was able to bring was her stash of money, which she smuggled into her dressing room, and then hid amongst her petticoats while her maids were distracted. Still, if she could bring only one thing, she supposed money was the best choice. After all, she could always buy anything she needed once she made it to the capital.

Lucy had managed to make it out the window and across the manor's vast side lawn towards the stables without anyone the wiser. Unfortunately, bad luck struck again when she saw that they were a veritable hive of activity. In preparation for the visitors, any potential mount she might have taken was being moved to make room for those belonging to their guests. After a few minutes spent waiting to see if things would calm down and the staff disperse, Lucy had to give up this means of escape, which meant only one thing.

She had to walk.

She had always been fond of a good stroll around her family's large property, but walking all the way to the capital struck her as frankly ridiculous.

In the end, though, she realized that that was precisely what she was going to have to do if she wanted to make her getaway without being discovered, killing her dreams before she even had a chance to make a go at fulfilling them.

Rallying herself, Lucy had made her way to one of the smaller side roads that led from her home to avoid bumping into any carriages belonging to her guests. She walked for some hours before running into anyone at all.

Feet sore and cursing her impractical shoes, the young woman was torn between elation and terror when a wagon came up the road behind her. When she realized that it was not a fine carriage, but a simple cart drawn by a rather bedraggled mule, she heaved a sigh of relief and waved down its bemused driver.

Hitching a ride with the elderly gentleman was probably the easiest thing she had done that day, as a few bills from the stash of them she kept her in skirt was more than enough to silence any questions he might have had on why a very well dressed young woman was walking along the side of a country road completely unattended.

Luckily, and the thought didn’t occur to her until she had already hopped up on the back of the wagon and seated herself on one of many prickly bales of hay, the old man wasn’t the type to simply lure her in after she flashed so much money, and then rob her blind.

The cart’s pace was slow, but it was still faster than walking, so Lucy didn’t complain or ask the old man to speed things up a bit. Honestly, she wasn’t sure that his mule would be able to handle the strain. When they came to a crossroads with a coaching in, she slipped him another bill out of gratitude, and went inside to find a faster ride to the capital.

Her brief stint of luck ran out there, though, when the owner of the inn informed her that the next coach to Crocus wouldn’t be leaving until early the next morning.

Lucy briefly considered bribing the man with her hard earned funds, but thought better of it. No doubt she would need the money later, and while tomorrow was the last day for the recruiting event, surely she’d be able to make it in time…

In the end, she decided to wait, though she did turn down the offer of renting out a room to stay in for the night. While she was sorely tempted, it occurred to her that a coaching inn would no doubt be the first place her father and his men would check when she was discovered missing. So, instead, she spent an uncomfortable night in a nearby hayloft. She didn’t get much sleep, but it was warm and out of the weather, so it was better than nothing, and _definitely_ better than being found out by her father.

Come morning, she purchased a meat-pie from the innkeeper’s wife, and boarded a coach to the capital. Unfortunately, the ride took longer than anticipated, and Lucy’s nerves were humming by the time she finally disembarked in Crocus late in the afternoon.

And now, here she was, trying to consult a shoddy map she had purchased from a dubious market stall, her fine gown rather the worse for wear after her long trip.

“This street isn’t even _on_ here!” Lucy grumbled aloud as she squinted up at the street sign she stood beneath, and then back to her map. The sun was getting dangerously low in the sky now, and Lucy was struggling to fight back tears of frustration at the prospect that she had managed to come all this way, only to still fail in her endeavor. This would be her only chance, too. If she were to go back home now, her father would never let her out of the sight of a trusted servant again for the rest of her days…

“Excuse me, miss,” a low, pleasant female voice asked “are you lost?”

Lucy looked up and around in surprise to see a woman a few years her senior smiling kindly at her. She was several inches taller than the noblewoman’s own five foot six, with long crimson hair that flowed freely down to the middle of her back. The stranger was dressed simply in a white blouse and blue tunic, with fitted black breeches, and calf-skin boots.

Despite her unassuming dress, there was something about the woman that screamed ‘not-a-commoner’ to Lucy's experienced eye. Perhaps it was the way she held herself with confident, easy grace. Or maybe it was something in her warm, brown eyes as she looked Lucy up and down, noting all the little details of her person without commenting on them.

“I-” Lucy began, on the verge of declining any help out of sheer force of pride, only to give herself a mental shake and admit with a self-depreciating, almost tearful smile “ _yes_ , actually. I’m looking for the Black Drake Inn, only none of these streets seem to appear on this map _at all_ and I’ve no idea where I am.”

The last part tumbled past her lips in a breathless rush as she waved her worthless map irritably before her, on the verge of tearing the thing clear in two out of frustration.

Before she could, though, the strange woman took the bit of parchment from her hands and examined it for a moment before saying in an incredulous tone “Goodness, no wonder you’re lost. This map is _years_ out of date.”

“What?” Lucy exclaimed, then glanced back in the direction of the market, eyes narrowing dangerously “Ooh that man! He insisted that it was current! Why I ought to-”

“No doubt he’ll have gone by now,” the redheaded woman mused with a sympathetic smile “Scammers like that rarely stick around in once place long for precisely this reason.”

Lucy felt like throwing her arms up and screaming, but years of etiquette lessons kept her from succumbing to the urge. She settled for an annoyed huff, the most a lady was allowed in such a situation.

“I’m heading that way myself, actually,” the redhead said, distracting Lucy from her annoyance “We could walk together, if you like?”

Lucy really _could_ have cried this time, but managed to restrain herself to a grateful and relieved smile as she replied “Yes, please. I would very much appreciate it.”

Her new companion chuckled at the depth of sincerity in the noblewoman’s voice, and started walking.

“I’m Erza, by the way,” she said with a slight bow at the waist.

“I’m Lucy,” the young woman replied with a warm smile and a brief curtsy. Erza hadn’t mentioned her own last name, which meant Lucy wasn’t obligated to give her own for the moment, as etiquette would usually demand. It was refreshing, having a normal conversation with someone new, and she didn’t want to taint that with the knowledge that she was part of the noble Heartfilia family.

Come to think of it though, she would have to give someone a last name at some point, so she should probably think of an alias before then.

“So, what is it that brings you to the Black Drake? Are you meeting someone there?” Erza asked, distracting Lucy from her thoughts. She was curious as to why a young woman, so obviously wealthy, was wandering around the city by herself, but knew better than to ask such a question directly.

“Oh, well,” Lucy began, then hesitated, a blush coloring her cheeks before she decided that it probably wouldn’t do any harm to be truthful in this instance “t-that’s where they’re holding the recruiting event for the Dragoncorps today, you see. I was hoping to join,” the blonde looked skyward again and frowned worriedly before adding “I only hope I’m not too late. I swear it was just one thing after another on this trip,” she mused bitterly.

Erza gave the younger woman a startled glance at her admission, then looked her up and down once more. Lucy certainly didn't _look_ like a fighter. If she were being honest, the girl looked as though she hadn't done a hard day's work in her life. Flawless, creamy skin that spoke of little extended exposure to the sun, perfectly manicured nails, and a fine (if stained) gown all screamed 'pampered rich girl' to Erza. She seemed fit enough, having a trim figure from what she could see, but her arms were thin, and hands downright delicate. No callouses on _those_ slender fingers.

She looked every inch the lady. Erza's polar opposite.

The wry, vaguely bitter smile Lucy gave the redhead a moment later made her blink and focus on the girl's words once more, rather than her appearance.

“Have you ever felt like fate itself is conspiring against you?”

“I-” Erza began, then paused, a thoughtful expression on her face that gradually turned into a smile as they crossed a street and rounded a corner.

“Yes, I have,” she admitted “In the end, though, all you can do is keep trying. If it's truly important to you, then the eventual success will be worth all the effort.”

Lucy watched the other woman closely as she gave her answer, and could not deny the truth of it.

“Yes, I suppose you're right,” she agreed with a small smile as she screwed up her courage and prepared to do whatever she might have to in order to convince the Dragoncorps recruitment officer to give her a chance.

“Well, here we are,” Erza said, startling Lucy from her reverie.

The pair stood before a large inn built around an arched gateway that lead to an inner courtyard. Considering how bustling the street outside was, the space within the inn's walls seemed oddly hushed from where they stood on the sidewalk.

Before she entered, Lucy took Erza's hand and gave her a deep curtsy that made the other woman blush, being unaccustomed to receiving such a gesture from a proper lady.

“Thank you so much, Erza, I don't know what I would have done without you,” the blonde said, gratitude clear in her voice as she looked up at the taller woman and gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it.

Nerves practically vibrating in her excitement, Lucy turned and strode through the gateway before the other woman could respond, head held high, every inch the confident noblewoman. Inside the courtyard, things were just as quiet as they appeared from the street, which was strange, and a little unnerving. Surely there should have been a great deal of coming and going this time of day...

There wasn't, though. Other than herself, there was only one other person to be seen outside. He was a tall man, seated comfortably on a bench with his long legs outstretched before him and crossed at the ankles. Though his clothes were simple, they were well made and perfectly tailored to his lean figure.

The stranger didn't so much as glance up at her as she walked past him, making Lucy wonder if perhaps he hadn't fallen asleep sitting up. It certainly seemed likely, judging by how his arms were cross over his chest, and his head was bowed. Shaggy blue hair framed his peaceful, handsome face, contrasting sharply in comparison to the strange red sigil that framed one eye.

She hesitated, considering asking the man if he knew anything about the recruitment event, but changed her mind and passed through the inn's main door instead, hoping to find someone a little more awake to answer her questions.

The inn's interior was just as nice as it's exterior. Not fancy, but well furnished and clean. Wooden surfaces gleamed with polish everywhere she looked, and the counter of the bar was no exception.

“Excuse me,” Lucy called over the quiet chatter of the room's occupants, many of whom turned to look at the finely dressed newcomer out of idle curiosity.

The middle-aged woman behind the counter turned and smiled at Lucy “Hello, d-” she hesitated, then, taking in the younger woman's clothes and demeanor, and quickly changed her manner of address “Hello, m'lady, how can I be of service?”

Deciding not to try and correct the woman (she certainly wouldn't be convincing wearing _this_ dress after all), Lucy said “I am actually here to inquire about the Dragoncorps recruitment event that was supposed to be held here today.”

“Oh dear,” the innkeeper said, brushing a long strand of brown hair back from her round face as she frowned “I'm afraid they finished up some time ago, and the Chevalier has stepped out-”

Just as Lucy's face began to fall in disappointment, convinced that all her troubles had been for nothing, the woman before her perked up and added “Oh, well look here, m'lady, seems as though the Chevalier has just returned! Perhaps if you ask very nicely you'll have your chance after all.”

Hardly daring to believe her good luck after the trip she had had, Lucy turned to face the person who held her future in their hands.

“Hello again, Lucy,” Erza said with a warm smile at the girl as she strode towards the bar.

“W-what?!”


	2. In which Lucy meets a dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are at chapter two! This story is now also available to read on FF and AO3 if you'd like to follow there so you don't miss any updates.  
> Make sure to drop a review if you enjoyed, they really help me keep writing!

“I- but you...?” Lucy stammered helplessly, all attempts at maintaining a noble bearing completely out the window at this unexpected revelation.

“I suppose I didn't introduce myself properly, before,” Erza admitted with an embarrassed smile “I'm Erza Scarlet, Knight Commander of the Dragoncorps' Fairy Tail Brigade,” she said and dropped Lucy a low bow.

Still scrambling for her wits, the younger woman managed to give a second, equally low curtsy, still at a loss for words, but able to manage that much at least.

When Erza straightened, she asked “So, are you still interested in joining the Dragoncorps?”

“ _Of course,_ ” Lucy replied emphatically, unable to contain her eagerness for a moment. She flushed in embarrassment at her own outburst as a small smile of amusement tugged at Erza's lips, then cleared her throat pointedly and said “That is, yes, I am. Joining the Dragoncorps has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. It's not something that I undertake lightly.”

Reigning in her amusement as Lucy spoke in a more serious tone, Erza looked the girl up and down again, then glanced around the room. Most of the occupants were watching them curiously, even more so than before Erza had entered.

“Lets talk somewhere a little more private,” the knight suggested, nodding towards the door.

Lucy blinked, then glanced around and saw what the other woman had already noticed “Yes, please,” she agreed readily, grimacing inwardly at the thought of so many people being party to their conversation. Honestly, if she were to fail this test, she'd rather have as few people looking on as possible.

She followed Erza back out into the courtyard once more. The strange man was still there, dozing on his bench in a patch of late afternoon sunlight that spilled over the high peaked roof to illuminate his features with an almost ethereal glow.

“Now, Lucy,” Erza began, tone completely serious as she turned to the blonde and folded her arms over her chest, staring her down with stern brown eyes “I can tell that you are quite serious about this endeavor, but I'm worried that you haven't thought through the potential long term repercussions of this decision.”

“What do you mean?” the younger woman asked, frowning as she glanced past Erza to the strange man, wondering if he was truly asleep, or listening in on their conversation.

Noticing the shift in attention, Erza glanced over her shoulder to see what she was looking at, then turned back and waved a reassuring hand “Don't mind him. What I mean is: you are obviously a well-bred young woman, possibly even nobility...” here her words petered off as the woman struggled to find the best way to express what needed saying.

“And?” Lucy said, tone challenging as she lifted her chin and stared the redhead down, though she did not confirm or deny the facts of her birth “Even if I am nobility, and I'm not saying that's the case,” she said, arching a brow at Erza “You can hardly dismiss me on that front. Originally the Dragoncorps _only_ accepted nobility. You can't dismiss me for being female either, since that restriction was repealed forty years ago, as you yourself can attest,” the blonde pointed out.

“You're right, I can't,” Erza said “And I don't say this because you are one or the other...but because you're _both,_ Lucy. I mean no offense, but it's quite plain that you've never done a hard day's physical labor in your life.”

Lucy drew herself up angrily, narrow shoulders squared, and normally soft, brown eyes hard with anger and hurt.

Before she could say a thing, though, Erza held up a hand and continued “If you're accepted as a recruit, and eventually become a page, you'll find our lifestyle a hard one long before you're ever sent out on the battlefield. We do a great deal of physical training, as well as class work in preparation for knighthood,” seeing that Lucy was still less than impressed by this argument, the redhead added “It's a grueling schedule. We'll keep you running from dawn to dusk, and sometimes later. You'll get injured, possibly even permanently. Then there's the risk that comes from fighting once you're a knight. You'll see and do things that will be hard to reconcile with what you know of yourself, or possibly even irrevocably traumatize you...”

“I know,” Lucy cut in, gaze no longer angry, but just as intense and determined as ever “ _I know_ ,” she repeated with a sigh, bowing her head as she remembered the day a dragon rider had delivered the news of her mother's death to her father. She had been so very excited at the prospect of meeting a new dragon until her father had fallen to his knees and wept, insensible to her own concerned questions, and the knight's attempts to console him.

Her world had changed forever that day.

She took a deep breath and raised her head once more “I know that it will be a hard, bloody life, and I know it won't be easy,” she said solemnly “But that doesn't mean that I don't want this, and it certainly doesn't mean that I  _ can't  _ do this. The fact that I am not strong does not mean that I cannot  _ become _ strong.”

The blonde held her delicate, perfectly manicured hands out before her “These hands are weak and soft, but I will  _ make  _ them strong if I am given the chance. Never have I been afforded that opportunity,” she said, expression grim as her hands tightened into fists “But I want to be strong, I want to protect our country and my home. I want to make a difference.”

The light in Lucy's eyes was almost feverish, and her small hands shook with the intensity of her emotion as she thought of the day she had last seen her mother. Layla Heartfilia had been a proud, beautiful,  _ strong  _ woman, and her daughter was forever haunted by the image of her striding confidently across the front lawn of the manor to mount her dragon. It had been a bright, clear morning, and the sunlight had reflected almost blindingly from her mother's armor when she turned and waved farewell one final time, then pulled her helm over the golden crown of her hair and disappeared from Lucy's life forever.

Layla's parting words had been the same that morning as they ever were before she left home for a mission.

“ _Be a good girl, Lucy. Study hard, mind the housekeeper, and take care of everyone while I'm away.”_

No doubt her mother had never meant her last words literally, but Lucy had always taken the charge very seriously indeed.

“ _I love you.”_

Her mother had died for her country, protecting it, and more importantly, her family. Now it was Lucy's turn to take up her mantle and defend the home she loved so dearly, whatever her father might have to say about it.

Erza was silent, watching a myriad of emotions flicker through the blonde's dark eyes. For a moment, it was almost like looking in a mirror.

“Alright,” the knight finally acquiesced with a quiet sigh and a small smile at the blonde's startled expression “It's not that I don't want you to join, Lucy. I just wanted to spare you later heartache if you hadn't truly thought things through. I can see plainly, though, that you have.”

Lucy's surprise didn't last long, though, but quickly transformed into elation.

“Really?” she asked, hardly daring to believe she had managed to convince the woman of her sincerity and dedication to the cause.

“Really,” a masculine voice replied, a hint of amusement in his words.

Lucy looked at the sleeping man in surprise, blushing when she realized that he really  _ had  _ been listening in on her conversation with Erza. She was a little annoyed by this fact, but didn't get a chance to say so before he spoke again.

“Erza's not the type to lead someone on with false hope,” the man remarked as he pushed himself to his feet, and stretched languidly “However,” he continued as he looked Lucy over with dark amber eyes “discovering whether or not you actually have the aptitude to join the Dragoncorps...that's up to me.”

“Lucy, this is my bonded, Jellal Fernandes of the Star Clan,” Erza explained, stepping to one side so the man in question could approach.

The blonde offered her hand, and Jellal, familiar with the human custom apparently, clasped it gently in his and bowed gracefully at the waist.

“Bonded?” Lucy repeated, the words registering as the man straightened and offered her a small smile “You're a dragon?” she asked, barely managing to repress her excitement to an acceptable level.

“I am,” he replied with a quiet chuckle before glancing at his human partner and asking “Shall we do this now, or later?”

Erza looked to Lucy and asked “Well, are you ready? Jellal happens to be one of the best dragons in the Corps when it comes to picking out promising riders.”

Thrown by this sudden development, the girl hesitated, but quickly gathered herself and nodded firmly, hands clasped before her “Now would be preferable,” she said seriously, though the shaky smile she flashed at the redhead revealed her nerves.

“Don't worry,” Erza reassured her, placing one hand on her narrow shoulder “it'll only take a moment.”

Lucy nodded and took a deep breath. Only a moment to find out whether all of her hopes and dreams had been for naught...

Dragon and knight shared a look, and the latter nodded to the former.

Worries forgotten, Lucy watched in amazement as Jellal took several steps back, and then stretched...and stretched, and stretched some more...shifting and changing in the evening light until the man was gone, replaced by a dragon that nearly filled the courtyard with his size.

Awed, the blonde could only stare as the magnificent creature crouched carefully, and coiled his tail around the edge of the courtyard to prevent him accidentally bumping the two humans he shared the suddenly too small space with.

Jellal was truly a beautiful sight to behold. His body was lithe and lean, and of a slighter build than most of his dragons, though from her studies Lucy knew this was common for Star Clan dragons. From nose to rump he was perhaps twenty feet in length, with an additional fifteen feet of tail on top of that. His wings she couldn't guess at, as they were clamped tightly to his sides lest he accidentally bowl them over or smash a window.

The scales that covered his back and sides glittered a deep, midnight blue, edged with gold in the sunlight. His softer belly scales were a few shades lighter, though lacked the gold coloration. This was more than compensated for in the form of his golden horns, which branched grandly from the crown of his skull. Technically, Lucy realized, they were antlers, as they looked very much like a stag's in shape, if not in color. Rather than spikes, as many expected when they thought 'dragon', Jellal had a short, wild mane of blue-black fur that ran the length of his spine. His long, wicked looking black claws made up for the lack of armament on his back, though.

A low, rumbling growl escaped the dragon's throat and seemed to vibrate through Lucy's very bones. Erza laughed, making the other woman look at her curiously.

“Sorry, he was just complaining about the lack of space,” the redhead said with a careless wave of a hand as she smiled up at the dragon “But he knows full well this was the only inn around that could even begin to accommodate us space wise, so he might as well stop whining.”

“So it's true, dragon riders can really understand the draconic language fluently?” Lucy asked eagerly. Before her mother had died, she had rarely spent time with her dragon. The creature, for whatever reason, had never been particularly fond of Lucy.

“Well, yes,” the redhead admitted “Though that time he said it mostly telepathically,” she explained, tapping her temple.

“Ah, I see,” Lucy said, and turned her attention back to Jellal, who was doing much the same to her. He turned his head to one side so he could regard her with a huge, amber eye, his slitted pupil narrowing sharply as it focused on her. Large ears, also like a stag's, Lucy noted, flicked forward as she became to center of his attention.

She blinked, and the longer she matched stares with the dragon's eye, the stranger the blonde felt, as though the world around her were disappearing altogether, replaced by a sea of amber and gold...

Erza watched thoughtfully as Lucy fell into the trance that often overcame those being assessed for dormant magic by a dragon. The girl rocked back on her feet, but remained standing as Jellal studied her for a long minute.

_ 'Well, what do you think?'  _ Erza asked him silently through their mental bond so as not to disturb the girl and interrupt the process  _ 'I think she's certainly got the initiative, but it's all for nothing if she can't bond in the first place.' _

_ 'She is more than capable of forming a bond,'  _ Jellal replied, still examining the girl in question.

A smile of relief broke across his bonded's face when he gave her the good news. Having seen herself in Lucy's determined pleas for a chance to become a rider, the redhead was glad that the younger girl would not be disappointed.

_ 'Excellent,'  _ she said  _ 'What brigade, do you think? She seems a nice girl, I was thinking perhaps Mermaid Heel or Lamia Scale...' _

_ 'No,'  _ Jellal said firmly, startling Erza. Most of the time the dragon would leave the assigning of a new recruit to a compatible brigade to her with only the occasional suggestion. For him to counter her completely was unusual.

_'Send her to Fairy Tail.'_

_ 'What, seriously?'  _ the woman asked incredulously, looking at Lucy in a new light, wondering what it was her dragon saw that she did not  _ 'You don't think they'll eat her alive? You know how our brigade gets...she's obviously nobility, or at least part of the gentry, and we need all the riders we can get now. I don't want to scare her off.' _

_ 'She won't be,'  _ Jellal mused, finally blinking and breaking the spell Lucy had fallen under as he assessed her  _ 'Quite the opposite, I think.' _

_ 'If you say so,'  _ Erza agreed finally as she watched the girl in question give a start and look around in confusion.

“What-” she began, one hand going to her head as she shook it absently.

“Congratulations, Lucy, you passed,” the knight said as she stepped forward and gave the girl's hand a good, solid shake.

“I-I did?” Lucy asked, voice small and distant with shock, so much so that she didn't even notice she'd just had hand hand shaken for the first time in her life.

There was a quiet sigh of displaced air as Jellal shifted once more into his human form “With flying colors,” he told her as he rolled his shoulders to settle himself back into this smaller shape.

Lucy stared at him, then Erza, who was still smiling, and promptly began to cry.

“Ah! Are you alright?” the redhead asked, alarmed by the other woman's sudden descent into huge, gulping sobs. Tears rolled down her cheeks in such quantities that they gathered along her jaw and dripped onto the skirt of her dress.

Apparently better at handling crying women than his counterpart, Jellal fetched a handkerchief from the breast pocket of his coat and handed it to Lucy with an understanding smile “Here,” he said, voice gentle.

“Thank you,” Lucy sniffled, thoroughly embarrassed at herself as she accepted the white linen square and wiped delicately at her face “And I'm alright, it's just...it's a lot, you know? I've been dreaming of this day for so long, and now here I am,” she explained with a weak laugh and helpless wave of Jellal's handkerchief.

Once she had tidied herself as best she was able, the dragon accepted the token back, unable to repress the slight curve of his lips as Lucy beamed gratefully up at him and then his partner.

“Thank you so much,” she said “I promise you won't regret this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, these chapters will most likely average on the shorter side compared to 'One Wish', though that might change as we go along. We shall see.  
> Make sure to drop a review if you enjoyed, they really help me keep writing!


	3. In Which Lucy Begins Her Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to write this practically all in one go on my day off yesterday, which was a little surprising. Don't worry, 'One Wish' fans, you've got a chapter coming this Sunday, promise ;D  
> Side news, I sent this fic to my mom to read since she's been wanting to read some of my stuff (she loves fantasy books), but it's not until I started this fic that I had something she could actually read without needing a couple hundred episodes of back story, lol. So, hmm...that should be interesting :'D
> 
> Remember to drop a review if you enjoyed!

As Erza led her back into the inn and acquired a room key for her from the innkeeper, Lucy felt as though she were walking on air. So completely thrown by the sudden realization of her life long dreams, the noise of the bar washed over her unhindered, and she didn't even notice when the Knight Commander had to grab her arm to keep her from falling up the stairs.

"Lucy?" the redhead asked, waving her hand before the blonde's face once they reached her assigned room "Lucy!" she said again, louder this time.

Giving a start as she snapped out of her daze, the blonde blinked and said "Yes?"

A rueful smile played across Erza's lips "Finally come back to earth, have you? I thought I might have to send Jellal up into the stratosphere to fetch you down."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, blushing in the face of the other woman's knowing smile "It's all just...I'm very excited, you understand."

The dragon rider chuckled and placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder, giving it a sympathetic squeeze as she said "I do."

Lucy gave her a grateful smile as Erza released her hold and then held out a key ring "This is your room, come and go as you please, but make sure you're back here by ten tonight. We'll be making an early start in the morning. We've rented out the entire inn for these last two days, so anyone else staying here is also a recruit. Maybe try heading down to the bar and say hello, hmm?"

The girl's eyes went wide at the idea. Her, in a bar? Mixing with strangers from who knew what kind of walks of life? The very idea was thrilling, if a little daunting. And beer! She could try beer!

Seeing the way her newest recruit perked up, Erza chuckled, and was about to leave before another thought occurred to her.

"Oh, why don't you tell me where you've left your things and I'll drop a word with the innkeeper and have them sent for?"

Lucy winced, then collected herself and said "I've nothing to send for, so there's no need to trouble yourself."

Erza stared at her in disbelief "What... _nothing ?_ " she repeated, confused by the very idea that such an obviously wealthy young woman wouldn't have brought any of her belongings with her.

"Um, yes," the girl replied, confidence faltering a little in the face of Erza's incredulous expression.

"No clothes? Boots? A...a _hairbrush?_ "

"I had thought to get all of those things here in town," Lucy admitted, fidgeting uncomfortably under the weight of the Knight Commander's gaze.

"Well, yes, I suppose you'll have to," Erza said slowly, looking the girl up and down speculatively as she wondered if Lucy was really just that naive and sheltered to have planned ahead so poorly...or if there were something more going on here.

The redhead sighed then turned and walked further down the hall "Well, come along, you can borrow some of my clothes while we go shopping so you don't...stick out so much in the crowd."

Lucy blinked in surprise at the implied offer of assistance. Again, her first instinct was to decline, but common sense jumped to the fore once more and pointed out that she had no idea where to go to purchase common clothing, let alone a sturdy pair of boots and other general amenities.

Not for the first time since she'd left home, Lucy was forced to face just how very sheltered an existence she had lead for the last twenty-three years. She may know the correct way to address the second cousin of a Marquis, and the proper utensils to use for every dish in a ten course meal, but she was starting to realize that she had missed out on what were, to everyone else, very basic life skills somewhere along the way.

The woman hesitated a moment, then followed Erza to her room and stepped in after her.

"Now," the redhead said as she rummaged through a tightly packed duffle bag that she had hauled up from the floor and dropped on her bed "I'll loan you a set you can wear until you get to base tomorrow. There's not really any point buying a whole wardrobe because they'll be equipping you with all the basics when you arrive. They like to keep the recruits and pages in uniform," Erza explained as she dragged a white linen shirt from the depths of her bag "But you'll need a good pair of boots, basic self care amenities, and maybe a few things to wear during any time off you get."

The woman glanced at Lucy's fine gown for a moment as she was finally able to lay hands on a pair of pants and a plain blue tunic " _Simple_ things."

"Right," Lucy said, looking down at her dress self-consciously and smoothing it's skirts with her hands.

"I'm going to step out in the hall, you go ahead and get changed," Erza told Lucy as she tossed her the bundle of clothes, then paused and asked "Oh, what size shoe are you?"

"Size?" Lucy asked with a confused look at the older woman. Considering that all of her shoes had been custom fitted since she was a small child, the fact that there was standardized sizing for footwear was something that had escaped her.

Erza returned the look, absently wondering what moon the girl before her had dropped into their world from "Here, stick out your foot," she said with a sigh.

Lucy did as asked, lifting her skirts with one hand and sticking out a foot so Erza could see. A fine, satin pump of the same color as her dress, and decorated with silver, was revealed. While that didn't surprise the redhead, the fact that her own booted foot was the smaller of the two, did.

"Oh, hmm," the woman said "Well, I'm normally an eight, so it looks like you're probably around a nine, if I had to guess."

"And what does that mean?" Lucy asked curiously as she dropped her skirts once more.

"That you can't borrow a pair of my boots to go shopping in," Erza mused "Oh well, you'll just have to wear what you have. We'll drop by the shoe store first."

Lucy sighed, wishing she'd had the same size foot as Erza so she could finally remove her cursed high-heels. After all the walking she'd had to do in the things, they were definitely starting to pinch, and had long since started rubbing her heels and arches painfully. While pretty, they weren't exactly made for long walks.

"I'll be right outside," Erza said, and closed the door behind her, leaving her new recruit to strip out of her gown (no easy task without the assistance of a maid, but her stubborn streak, which had been backing down all day, refused to ask the Knight Commander for help unlacing the back), and change into her borrowed clothes.

It was with slightly trembling fingers that the young noblewoman picked up the pair of pants she'd been given, and then slowly pulled the unfamiliar garment up her legs and over her hips.

* * *

A few hours later, Erza and Lucy only just managed to make their way back to the inn before the clock struck ten, tired but cheerful, and laden with bags.

The Knight Commander had taken Lucy by surprise when she proved to have quite the eye for bargains. Not only that, but she was a relentless haggler, which was something the girl had never witnessed before, and watched with great interest.

In the end, they were able to find everything Lucy needed (and a few things she didn't), plus a sturdy rucksack to carry it all in for a great deal less money than she would have wound up paying on her own, novice shopper that she was.

Thoroughly exhausted, the pair made their way across the now mostly empty taproom, and up the stairs to their rooms. Just before they parted ways, Lucy worked up her nerve and said "Chevalier?"

Erza turned to look at her, smiling as she said "Considering we're not on 'official' business at the moment, you can call me Erza."

"Erza, then," the blonde replied, relaxing a little as she returned the smile and said "I just wanted to thank you for today. Thank you for giving me a chance, and thank you for helping me with...well, all this," and lifted her bag laden arms.

"It was no problem, Lucy," the older woman said warmly "Watching out for the next generation of riders is part of being a Knight. Remember that," she added, then gave a start as she remembered something.

"I never did get your surname, did I? I'll need it in order to fill out your letter of recommendation," the redhead said, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh!" Lucy said, thinking fast. Figuring it was best to keep things simple, she said "It's Heart. My full name is Lucy Heart."

"Well, its been a pleasure, Lucy Heart," Erza said with a half-bow before disappearing into her room.

Excited as she was, Lucy struggled to fall asleep that night, though the room she had been given was nice (if rustic compared to her norm), and the bed comfortable. Twice she got out of bed, unpacked, and then repacked her bag out of a sheer need to have something to focus on. More than anything she wished she'd thought to buy a book while they were out shopping. Anything to give her overactive imagination something to do.

What if she overslept and was left behind? No, surely there'd be a roll call of some sort in the morning to prevent just that sort of thing...

Eventually, Lucy drifted off in the wee hours of the morning, in the middle of working on a back story for her new alias. Unlike Lucille Heartfilia, Lucy Heart was no noblewoman, but the well read daughter of a shopkeeper...or maybe one of the landed gentry to explain her well versed manners. _That_ would be a hard habit to break...

She woke shortly after dawn just as abruptly as she had fallen asleep a few hours before. Still worried about the possibility of getting left behind, the noblewoman rushed to the window and drew the curtains so she could look into the courtyard below.

Jellal was there, curled up in his dragon form once more. As she admired the way the early morning sunlight reflected off his golden antlers and dark scales, Erza stepped into view from behind his shoulder, drawing a long leather strap after her.

Without thinking, Lucy pushed open her window and called a greeting, waving one hand to get the woman's attention.

The Knight Commander paused in her task and looked around for the source of her voice. Jellal, however, saw her immediately, and must have told her where to look, as Erza turned directly to her a moment later.

"Good morning, Lucy," Erza called back, lifting a hand in greeting before continuing "Get dressed and come down, I've something to say before I go."

"I'll be right there!" the blonde replied, then closed her window and it's curtain, before turning to do as she was bid.

Getting dressed was the work of a moment, which a novel change from the usual morning gauntlet she had to suffer through back home. As she hurried down the stairs, she pulled her hair back in a ponytail with a length of blue ribbon she'd purchased for just such a purpose.

She emerged in the courtyard, blinking against the sunlight, and only just managed to avoid stepping on the end of Jellal's tail.

"Sorry," she told him with what started as a curtsy out of habit, but ended as a bow.

A low rumble of what Lucy had a feeling was amusement escaped the dragon as he tilted his head to one side to regard her while Erza clicked the last of the strap fasteners into place across his chest.

"He says it's alright," the dragon's rider translated with a chuckle as she turned to look at her "You're pretty light on your feet, that's good. You'll be needing it."

"Are you leaving already?" Lucy asked, glancing at the riding straps that now adorned Jellal's chest and shoulders. They were made of a thick, but pliable black leather, and were padded in spots to prevent them rubbing uncomfortably against some of the less armored portions of the Star Dragon's hide "I had thought you would be accompanying us to base since you're part of the Fairy Tail Brigade," she said a little wistfully.

"No, I'm off to the next recruiting event up North in River Village," Erza explained "Spring is when all the brigades do their recruiting, and I've a couple of weeks left to go yet."

"Oh, I see."

"Don't worry, you'll see me before you know it," Erza said with a smile "I always make a point to attend the Bonding every year."

Lucy's heart leaped at the mention of the dragon riders' most important tradition. It was the ceremony through which dragons and riders forever cemented their bond with one another, permanently interweaving their fates and swearing to protect one another until the end of their days. It was an event that only fellow riders and the occasional important head of state ever had the privilege of witnessing. To think that, this year, she might not just be witnessing, but _participating_...

"Now, Lucy, before I go," Erza began, drawing the blonde's attention back to her "When you get where you're going, and even before, don't let the other recruits push you around, or try to bully you into doing their work for them. Some will have already been at the base for some time, so they'll try to get you to do things you shouldn't, or make you do things you don't want to."

"What, why?" Lucy asked, surprised by this new information.

"It's not necessarily personal," Erza said "It's just...kind of a test, a right of passage among the recruits. So, just to nip it in the bud, familiarize yourself with all the rules, and if you're ever not sure about something, just ask one of your masters, alright?"

The younger girl nodded thoughtfully as she processed the Knight's advice. It wasn't so strange, really, now that she actually thought about it. Nobility did similar things all the time, simply with higher stakes, or at least with much longer lasting social repercussions. Political ties could rise and fall with the flick of a woman's fan in the drawing room. She'd never been fond of these games, but you still had to be familiar with them in order to avoid becoming a victim.

"Don't worry, I can stand up for myself," Lucy said with a smile, a martial light in her eye.

"Never doubted you for a moment," Erza said, mouth twisting in amusement "Just didn't want you walking in blind."

Speaking sincerely, the blonde hurried to say "I do appreciate the warning," as Jellal tilted his head slightly to glance at her, and then at his bonded.

Erza's expression took on a sort of distracted air, and it occurred to Lucy that she must be speaking telepathically with her dragon. Rather than interrupt and ask what the Star dragon was saying, she waited, watching them both curiously.

When the Knight Commander's eyes focused on her again, Erza seemed a little more serious than a moment before "Jellal wanted to remind me not to get your hopes up," she said, throwing her dragon a sideways glance that seemed torn between agreement and displeasure "And he does have a point, so I'll go ahead and say it."

Still curious, but wary as well now, Lucy nodded her permission for the other woman to continue.

"Just because you're capable of bonding to a dragon...that doesn't necessarily mean that you _will,_ " the redhead said with a thoughtful frown "There has to be a certain compatibility between dragon and human for a successful bond to be made, and only the dragon can sense if it's there or not. And even then, sometimes it doesn't quite work out. That's why there's a trial period for recruits and dragons to spend together, getting to know one another while also receiving training. That way, if they decide that they don't want to bond after all, they're not stuck with an unhappy partner for the rest of forever."

Releasing a breath of relief that this was the woman's only concern, Lucy gave Erza a reassuring smile and said "Don't worry, I am well aware. Sometimes it takes years for a recruit to find a compatible dragon, or so I've heard."

"Yes, though that sort of extreme is rare," the older woman remarked, but did not add that this was mostly because the majority of recruits simply couldn't handle the crushing disappointment that came with years of rejection, and eventually gave up to return home again.

From somewhere in the city, a bell tolled the hour, making Erza start.

"Seven already? Jellal, we'd best be on our way," the redhead said as she turned and checked the tethering straps on her travel bag. He rumbled in reply, and she said "Oh don't give me that."

Lucy hid a smile behind her hand until Erza turned back to her again and offered her hand to shake. It took the girl a moment to process the gesture. As a noblewoman, she'd certainly never been offered a hand to shake (well, besides the night before, but she'd hardly even noticed it at the time). She did, though, clasping the other woman's hand in her own, doing her best to return Erza's firm grip.

"Lucy, take care of yourself, and be well. In the mean time, I'll keep my fingers crossed to see you up there on the dais when I return for the Bonding Ceremony," she said.

"Thank you, Chevalier, for everything," Lucy said emphatically as Erza released her hand and mounted Jellal with an easy grace that came from years of practice.

While his rider buckled herself in and pulled on her helmet, Jellal turned his attention to Lucy once more and bowed his head to her in farewell. Lucy smiled and bowed in turn.

"Thank you as well, Lord Jellal, none of this would be possible without you."

The dragon pushed himself to his feet when Erza gave him a slap on the shoulder, and then carefully spread his wings. Lucy stepped back into the doorway hurriedly, and couldn't help but notice several people were squeezed in behind her, while many others were opening their room windows to watch.

With space limited as it was, Lucy had no idea how Jellal planned to take off. There simply wasn't room for his wings to make the necessary downsweep.

Her question was answered when the Star Dragon reared back on his hind legs, and leaped straight up into the air, clearing the top of the inn and surrounding buildings with ease, startling a gasp out of not only herself, but many other onlookers. As Jellal's shadow shrank rapidly, Lucy dashed out into the center of the courtyard and turned her eyes upward just in time to see him make that first sweep of his massive wings. They grabbed at the air with a loud 'whump', followed by another as he ascended sharply, circled once, and then turned northward.

* * *

In a surprisingly short amount of time, Lucy had eaten breakfast at a crowded table of other recruits (though the whole affair had been so rushed she'd barely had time to ask the boy next to her to pass the salt), received her signed letter of recommendation from the rather harried innkeeper, gathered her bag, and then headed out the courtyard gate.

A long line of covered wagons waited there, each one with a Brigade symbol painted on it's side. Pushing her way through the crowd of recruits in an attempt to make her way down the sidewalk, Lucy eventually made it to the end of the row and found, to her relief, a wagon bearing the bright red seal of the Fairy Tail Brigade.

"Headed for Magnolia, lass?" A voice called down to her over the din.

Looking up, the girl spotted an older man perched on the driver's seat, reigns for the pair of rather impatient looking horses hitched to the wagon held firmly in one hand.

"Yes sir," she answered, forced to raise her voice in order to be heard.

The man reached out with his free hand and said "Alright, let me see your letter of rec then, if you don't mind, just to be certain."

Lucy handed it to him readily, and watched as he unfolded it, perused the contents briefly, and then nodded his satisfaction before handing it back to her.

"Alright, everything looks to be in order. Go ahead and hop up in back. I was told to expect three, and you're the third, so we'll head out soon as you're settled."

"Only three?" Lucy asked in surprise as she glanced up the line of carts and noted that most of them seemed to have at least two to three times that number fighting over space to sit and store their things in.

"Aye, that's often the way of it though, I've found," the man mused "The Chevalier is a mite picky when it comes to her home Brigade. Not that I blame her, mind. They're a hard group, Fairy Tail, probably for the best that she's discerning in the end."

"Oh," the girl responded faintly, wondering just what it was Erza had gotten her into.

"Need help getting your things in?" the driver offered kindly.

Her pride surging to the fore once more, Lucy squared her shoulders and smiled up at him "No, thank you, I can manage."

He tipped his hat to her, and the girl hurried off towards the back of the cart. Seeing that it was quite tall, Lucy hesitated, then slung her bag down off her back and prepared to heave it up over the edge.

"Just hand it here, there's some idiot asleep on the floor in here," a man said before she had a chance to make her move.

Lucy looked up in surprise to see a man about her age, or perhaps a few years older, looking at her from within the wagon, hand extended to take her bag. He was quite tan, with short black hair, and bright turquoise eyes that regarded her steadily as he waited for her response. Perhaps his most striking feature, though, was the scar that dominated the left side of his face. It was a curious shape, made of one long line that ran from his temple to the base of his cheekbone, then bisected perpendicularly by two secondary cuts that framed his eye.

"Paint a picture, it'll last longer," the man drawled, making Lucy jump and blush.

"I am so sorry," she said hurriedly as she pressed her bag into his hand and he pulled it up and into the wagon "That was terribly impolite of me."

The sour look that had dominated the man's face softened as he watched her climb up onto the cart.

"Well, at least you can admit it," he mused and offered her his hand with a wry smile.

Accepting his help to steady herself as she swung one leg into the wagon and then clambered within, Lucy grinned contritely "Well, I do try to admit my faults, if only when caught in the act," she said brightly in hopes of lightening the mood brought on by her faux pas.

Her words seemed to do the trick, as he laughed and took his seat on one of the benches along the edge of the cart, kicking the leg of the man sprawled out on the floor of the cart in the process.

"I'm Mest Gryder," he said after a moment and offered her his hand.

Lucy, who had taken the seat across from him, taking more care than he had to not kick the cart's third occupant, returned the gesture "It's a pleasure. I'm Luci-" she paused then, realizing that she'd nearly given her full name out of habit.

"Lucy?" Mest repeated as he shook her hand.

"Yes, Lucy Heart," she said with a smile, barely remembering to give the false name she'd given Erza the night before. Living with an alias was apparently going to take some getting used to.

"Well now, Miss Lucy Heart," a second masculine voice all but purred.

The pair of them glanced down at man on the floor as he pushed himself upright and smiled charmingly at Lucy while Mest rolled his eyes expressively.

"What an absolute _pleasure_ to have a lovely lady such as yourself along on this trip with us," the strange man continued as he slid onto the bench next to her, subtly positioning one arm so it rested along the back of her seat, while the other he extended towards her to shake.

"And you are?" she asked, manor much more stilted with this man as she reluctantly shook his hand.

His rather forward manners aside, Lucy had to admit that the man who'd insinuated himself beside her was a handsome one. Red-orange hair framed high cheekbones and swept at an angle across his brow, partially obscuring cheerful hazel eyes and a pair of blue tinted glasses that perched neatly on the bridge of his straight, well shaped nose. His lips, which looked as though they had been sculpted by a particularly talented artist, curled up in a flirtatious smile as he flashed her a set of very straight, very white teeth.

"Loke Löwestern at your service."


	4. In Which There is a Castle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter at long last! Unfortunately, don't expect another one in the near future, haha. I'm working on a project for the Unison Raid Bang project on tumblr, which should be done at the end of February, so my focus is there for now. Honestly I only worked on this because my muse has been pretty dead (was supposed to already be done with the URB thing at the end of January 8'D ), so I thought that maybe working on this would help resuscitate it a bit, lol. We'll see If it worked XD
> 
> Remember to drop a review if you enjoyed! They really help me write, especially in times like these.

"Löwestern, that's an uncommon name," Lucy remarked to the man beside her as she politely, but firmly, pulled her hand from his and shifted sideways in her seat to afford herself a little more personal space in the wake of Loke's invasion.

"Indeed, though not so uncommon as your beauty," the redhead flattered outrageously. A less disciplined woman would have snorted.

Out of habit, Lucy almost reached for a folding fan that was not there. Useful things, fans, and not just for cooling ones-self, but for deflecting attention or masking the lack of an actual verbal response.

Fanless, the noblewoman ignored the compliment, knowing that acknowledging it would likely bring more such attentions. Instead, she asked "Where is your family from, originally?"

Loke blinked at the question, but seemed both un-bothered, and undeterred by the lack of response to his compliment as he answered "Minstrel, or so father always said," he explained with a grin and a grand wave of a hand "We've been here for some three generations now, though. Came over on a merchant vessel and opened up a trading company of our own. Been quite successful ever since," he added, grin growing wider yet.

Lucy offered Loke a polite smile, leery of doing more, but finding it difficult to dislike the man out of hand, however overly attentive he might be. There was a light, easiness to his manner that one couldn't help but find charming.

Before he could say more, though, the blonde turned her attention to their traveling companion and asked "How about you, Mest? Any diverting family history to share to help pass the time?" she asked with a small, droll smile.

Immediately catching on to her mixed feelings about Loke, the older man returned the gesture and said "Nah, not really. Born and raised in Crocus. Don't know my mum's family, but my dad's been there generations, apparently," he shrugged, and continued "Was a city guard before this, same as my dad and granddad."

"Oh really?" Lucy asked, perking up in interest at this fact. She'd met plenty of wealthy merchants sons in her day, but it was her first time talking to a real city guard "What was it like? What made you want to leave and join the Dragoncorps?"

Mest seemed taken aback that what he regarded as a dull background held some fascination for the woman, so it was a moment before he continued.

"Well-" he began, only to be interrupted by Loke, who chose that moment to make a bid for Lucy's attention once more.

"City guards can be rather rough types, miss," the redhead said "And they lead such dull lives, always walking around in circles like they're worried the cobblestones will wander off if they're not checked on every few hours."

Lucy winced as a flash of annoyance crossed Mest's face, and the scarred man immediately began to withdraw inward. Charming he may be, but tactful Loke was not, apparently. Reaching for something to say or do that might distract the redhead, and put their companion back in a more talkative mood, Lucy's attention lighted on her pinky ring.

It was a small, delicate thing made of gold with a small, rounded sapphire set into the band. Her family's crest, crossed keys inside a circle, had been carved into the glittering surface. She idly worked it loose on her finger now, and allowed it to slip out of her grasp and onto the floor of the cart.

"Oops!" she said, and bent to pick it up, just as Loke said "Allow me," and moved to do the same, just as she'd hoped he would.

Lucy swept the little ring up with one hand as quickly as she could, then sat up straight, swinging her arm up just enough to clip Loke right in the nose, making him yelp and jerk sideways away from her.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" she said as the redhead clapped a hand over his injured nose, his eyes watering so much that he missed the way the blonde winked slyly at Mest, making the man go wide-eyed, then smile once more.

"Ib's halright," Loke managed to say, but to his disappointment, Lucy had already turned her attention back to their companion, ring back in place on her finger. He sighed, then, resigning himself to the realization that his usual methods weren't going to work on this particular young lady.

"So, you were a guard," the blonde said with a smile, motioning for the scarred man across from her to continue.

"Uh, yeah," Mest replied, crossing his arms across his chest and settling back against his seat as the cart suddenly lurched into motion around them. They all took a brief moment to look out the back, before turning their attention back to the subject at hand "Like I said, dad and graddad did it all their lives, so it was kinda expected I'd do the same. So I did," he said with a hapless shrug and a wry smile.

"But then you decided you didn't want to?" Lucy encouraged, eyes bright as she leaned forward slightly so she could better hear him over the rattle of the cart wheels.

"Yeah," the man agreed again, unused to pretty young women actually taking interest in his work. Lots of men worked as guards in Crocus and other cities, after all. It was hardly what one would call interesting, but here Lucy was, acting like he was the most fascinating person she'd ever met. It was a strange feeling.

"Like he said, it's a pretty dull life," the former guard was forced to acquiesce as he nodded in Loke's direction, making the other man glance up from an attempted inspection of his own nose "Lots of walking about, and even more standing," he admitted with a grimace and another shrug.

Mildly disappointed by this underwhelming report on what she had once thought must be a very interesting profession from all the books she had read, Lucy pushed on "Surely you must have chased some thieves, or defended the peace occasionally to break up the monotony?"

Her words startled a snort of amusement from Mest, and even Loke grinned.

"I guess so, yeah," the man agreed, two fingers trailing absently over the scar on his cheek. Lucy longed to ask about how he had received such a thing, but was too well bred to do so outright "It all becomes business as usual in the end. Even exciting stuff like that is kind of boring after a while," he continued after a moment's thought "That and the pay is rubbish if you're not an officer."

"Is that why you decided to try for the Corps?"

"Joining for better pay is rather...unromantic, don't you think?" Loke mused, a small smile playing across his sculpted lips.

"It wasn't just for the pay!" Mest objected with a huff, suddenly flustered and annoyed.

Lucy smiled to herself as she watched him. Her social circle may have been restricted to only the wealthy until now, but people, she was beginning to realize, really weren't all that different. Just less polished, and possibly a great deal more honest.

You had the flirtatious (though mostly harmless) rascals like Loke, the strong but kind types like Erza...but the heart of gold tough like Mest was something new, or at least a previously undiscovered distant cousin of something a little more refined she generally only found in military officers that visited her home.

Realizing that she was watching him, Mest cleared his throat sharply and settled back as though he'd never had his little outburst "I've been a city boy all my life, and the Dragoncorps will let me see more of the world, and play a part in defending people from something more threatening than petty thieves," he said, then paused before reluctantly admitting "Plus the pay's better."

Lucy allowed her close-lipped smile to break into a full grin at his words, something that was _definitely_ not allowed in front of company back home. But she wasn't at home, so hang the rules, she'd smile as much as she liked.

"How about you?" Mest asked in an attempt to turn the conversation from him, to someone else.

"Oh," the blonde said, sitting up straight and struggling not to fidget as she called to mind the backstory she had developed the night before as she had lain sleepless in bed "Well my family owns land outside of Dawn City," she explained. She had decided that it would be best to choose some place she was familiar with that was outside of Era, and Dawn City had fit the bill perfectly. The Heartfilias had long maintained a summer home there, which they visited yearly for months at a time. As such, she knew the area around it quite well.

"I've never been that far west, what's it like out there?" Loke asked with genuine interest. Mest watched her from his place opposite, head tilted thoughtfully to the side, an unreadable expression on his tan face.

"Rolling hills right up to the sea, mostly," Lucy answered truthfully "Pretty, but not much to do, I'm afraid."

"So, you joined the Corps for the sake of doing something interesting?" Mest observed.

"That sounds worse that doing it for the pay," the blonde replied with a wry smile "But I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it, just like you are _also_ doing it for the better pay."

Mest held his hands up in surrender at her friendly jab and Loke chuckled.

"So, what's your other reason, then?" the redhead asked "Some grandiose desire to save the world, perhaps?"

Lucy rolled her eyes as the man gave a flamboyant sweep of one arm, his other hand resting just over his heart as he beamed down at her.

"Mostly it's for the opportunity to have an unbreakable bond with a life-partner that can help you defend everyone you know and love," she replied matter-of-factly, making the man blink and drop his arms.

"Well, when you put it _that_ way," Loke said with a tremendous sigh "It makes the rest of us look rather small-minded in comparison, doesn't it?" he asked as he glanced to Mest for support.

"Speak for yourself," the former guard drawled.

~X~X~X~

The conversation never did turn towards Loke's reason for joining the Dragoncorps, though whether that was by his design, or mere coincidence, Lucy could not rightly say. Regardless, by the time they reached the inn that night, they had all come to know one another rather well. Loke still flirted outrageously with her every opportunity he got, but never seemed put off when she shut him down each time. It became a game of sorts, one that was able to remain amusing because the redhead never quite crossed the line of being too serious in his advances, making Lucy wonder if he was even all that interested in her, or if flirting was something he simply did out of habit.

Mest seemed to find it amusing and annoying in turns, sometimes just observing as Lucy deftly dodged the redhead's attentions, and even going so far as to assist her occasionally. The man was practically Loke's opposite; reserved and thoughtful, though not without a sense of humor, either. Mest wasn't the type to draw attention to himself, but he did seem to find watching and learning about others quite interesting. He had a penetrating mind, to boot, which Lucy learned early on when he asked several highly specific questions about her childhood in Dawn City, almost as though testing the veracity of her history.

She was able to answer his questions readily, though not without some mental gymnastics of her own, leaving her wondering if he suspected her of lying about her past, or if asking questions was simply a habit garnered from years working as a city guard.

They spent the night comfortably at an inn that was quite a bit smaller than the Black Drake, but just as nice. Even better, they were each afforded their own room on the Brigade's credit, so any awkward bunking situations were avoided. The next morning, after an early breakfast just after dawn, it was back in the cart and on the road once more.

Loke promptly went straight back to sleep, head lolling so far to one side that it wound up on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy herself was too tired to complain, and with the morning air as cool as it was, she didn't object to the extra warmth.

A cold, spring rain started up around midday, driving all three recruits to fetch their cloaks from their bags, and huddle together for additional warmth. Lucy found herself pressed between her companions' much larger figures as they pressed in close, and laughed when Loke went to rest his cheek on her head, only to find himself getting flicked in the forehead by Mest for his trouble.

"Ow! Come on, you killjoy, Lucy doesn't mind! Do you, Lucy?" Loke said as he turned large, pleading hazel eyes to her, lips threatening a pout.

"For once, no, I don't," she admitted with a snort as she shared a look with Mest, who relented in the face of her words "This rain is miserable, I wish it'd let up already," Lucy said with a sigh, wishing, not for the first time that day, that they were riding in her father's enclosed coach. Not only would it be warmer and drier, but it had far better suspension, and much softer seats. Their cart wasn't bad as far as carts went, but at the end of the day, it was only a cart.

Mest grunted absently in agreement as he stared out at the rain. He contented himself with that until the arm Loke had slipped around Lucy's shoulder migrated down to her hip. The former guard reached between them without seeming to pay attention, and twisted the other man's finger sharply, making him yelp and yank it back up to their companion's shoulder.

"I wasn't going to _do_ anything!" Loke insisted as he shook his hand vigorously and glared at Mest from over Lucy's head "I'm far too much a gentleman to take advantage of an unwilling lady," he said with a sniff.

Lucy cocked her head and raised an eyebrow at Loke, who frowned in return. After a moment's study, she decided he was telling the truth. Making a physical pass at a woman who wasn't over her heels for him just didn't quite seem his style.

"Well, keep your hands off my hips and we'll be fine," she said finally as she pulled her eyes from his and resettled herself more comfortably.

"That will make dancing terribly awkward," he replied, grinning now that they were on proven terms once more.

A smile pulled at Lucy's lips and she said, as though giving it some serious thought "Well, terms might be renegotiated should such an opportunity ever arise."

"I look forward to it."

"I'm going to puke if you two keep it up," Mest grumbled, making them both pull away with loud objections.

Conversation was had in fits and starts after that. The rain beat incessantly down on the tarp cover of the cart as they dozed, until Mest noticed that it had sprung a leak directly above them, forcing the trio to relocate to the opposite corner, where Lucy wound up becoming a pillow for both men. Given the chill air, and the warmth of their bodies, though, she didn't object, and wound up sleeping herself.

The second and final inn that they stayed at was finer than the last, though the boys were forced to share a room, much to Lucy's amusement. The next morning, the both of them were uncharacteristically grumpy, so the girl used her most tactful hostess skills to ply them both with food and coffee in hopes of bettering the mood before they were all confined to the cart once more.

Luckily, their moods were a little improved by her attentions, and she was able to discover that they had been forced to share a bed, in which Mest claimed Loke kicked like a mule, and Loke swore Mest snored loud enough to bring the roof down around his ears.

The weather, at least, was much improved from the day before, the sky clear and bright, promising a warm spring day to enjoy as they made their way through the increasingly hilly countryside. Unfortunately, conversation had run rather thin by day three, leaving the trio bored enough to resort to I-spy.

"I spy, with my little eye," Loke said as he lowered the telescoping spyglass Lucy had loaned him (one of the things she'd bought back in Crocus that she hadn't precisely 'needed', but had proved useful so far in spotting interesting things in the distance) "something as rich and golden as ripe wheat, soft as silk, and-"

"I swear on my grandad's grave, if it's Lucy's hair, I'm throwing you off the back of this damn cart," Mest growled as his turquoise eyes narrowed threatening in the other man's direction "Last time it was her eyes, and before that it was her lips, and if it's her _godforsaken hair this time I'm going to kill you and no one will ever find the body._ "

"Well it's not like there's anything else around to look at except these blasted hills!" Loke countered, voice dangerously near to a whine as he slumped back onto the floor of the cart and slung one arm dramatically across his eyes.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy gently pried her spyglass from his limp fingers, leaned against the wall of the cart, and put her eye to the lens to distract herself from the boys' petty bickering. A distant smudge on the horizon caught her attention, and she spent some minutes trying to bring it into focus.

Finally, though through no real effort on her part, she _was_ able to focus on the strange object, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she realized what she was seeing.

"D-Dragon!" she stammered aloud, nearly dropping her spyglass, the boys looking around in confusion.

"What?" Loke asked as Mest slid off the bench and crouched beside her.

"May I?" he asked eagerly, and she readily handed the glass to him, then pointed him in the right direction.

The dark haired man grinned "It's moving fast," he remarked as he adjusted the spyglass to refocus it on the target.

"Hey, I wanna see!" Loke insisted as he squeezed in next to Lucy. Mest reluctantly passed him the glass, and the redhead adjusted it again with surprisingly deft fingers "Wow, it's white! Hard to look at in all this sun," he observed as he pulled his face back and blinked a few times, only to have Lucy take the spyglass back and look herself once more "Think it's a light dragon? Or maybe a sky dragon...don't they come in white?"

It was indeed white, and moving towards them at a quick pace from the east. Narrowing her eye, Lucy fiddled with the settings a little more in the hopes of getting a better look. When she found it had moved out of a comfortable range for where she was sitting, she got to her feet without thinking, and leaned halfway out of the cart to track it.

"Oi!" Loke cried as he made a grab for her leg to keep her from toppling right out of the cart, while Mest successfully snagged her by the belt just as she began to fall. She barely noticed, though, only took advantage of their support to lean even further, following the dragon's path with the spyglass as it appeared to circle directly over them, before continuing westward.

"It was an ice clan dragon!" she crowed excitedly as she lowered the glass and beamed down at the two men clinging to her person "You can really tell by those pearlescent scales and the shape of the wings when you see them from below," Lucy explained brightly as Mest hauled on her belt and dragged her back until she plopped down on one of the seats.

"That's great," Mest said flatly as he dropped back onto his own seat "But you're not gonna do anyone any favors falling out the back of the cart and breaking your neck before we even get where we're going."

Lucy cringed at his reprimand, which was accompanied by a stern frown "Right, sorry," she said "I just got excited," the woman admitted meekly.

"You never mentioned that you'd made a study of dragons, Lucy," Loke commented from where he sat on the floor of the cart, a thoughtful, curious expression on his face.

"O-oh?" the woman stammered, a frisson of fear shooting up her spine as she frantically tried to think if a middle class land owner could have the sorts of books on dragons that her mother's personal collection had.

After Layla's death, Jude had locked the books away in a distant corner of their manor's attic in hopes of dampening his daughter's love of all things dragon. Unfortunately for him, it hadn't worked.

Lucy had been raised on those books; her mother had read to her from them for as long as she could remember. Some were full of the myths and legends of dragon culture, others detailed the political structure of the many clans, and the history of how they had become united under the rule of the Dragon King. Some of her favorites, though, had been the tomes of dragon biology. Each clan was described in detail, and the pages were full of meticulous illustrations that had fascinated Lucy when she was still too young to read the words that accompanied them.

In the wake of her mother's death, she had found some consolation in these books, as though some small piece of her mother lingered in their pages. Reading them allowed her to feel a connection to Layla, and no mere locked trunk would keep her from them.

So she had paid a maid to steal her father's keys one night while he slept. Lucy had figured out the appropriate one through long minutes of trial and error before having the girl put the others back where she had found them. Luckily, Jude had not noticed the small, silver key missing from his massive ring of them, and Lucy was able to have a copy made before bidding the girl return the original.

Even with this easy access, though, she had been careful, removing only one book at a time to read on the off chance that her father might occasionally check on them. She doubted that he would notice a single tome missing.

Would a middle-class family have access to such books? Even Lucy, with her view of the world skewed by a lifetime of wealth and privilege, recognized that this was extraordinarily unlikely. Luckily, a memory rose from the depths to save her at the last moment.

"The library at Dawn City had a collection of them, actually," she answered quickly "They always fascinated me. I couldn't begin to count how many times I checked them out."

Lucy practically held her breath as the two men took this in, and didn't breathe again until Loke flashed her a grin, and a small smile tugged at Mest's lips.

"Why am I not surprised?" the former guard mused, though there was something in the way he looked at her that, once again, made Lucy wonder if he didn't see right through her.

"Beautiful _and_ smart! Lucy, I admire you more with each passing moment," Loke said with a lovestruck sigh. He took advantage of her distraction to take her hand in his and press a kiss to her knuckles.

The noblewoman rolled her eyes at this, but was too relieved that they had bought her tale to chide him properly.

Before she could say anything else, though, a sharp rap on the taught canvas sheet that separated the back of the cart where they sat from the front and their driver, distracted them all.

"Well, lads and lass, y'might want to have a look at this!" the man called back to them, a smile audible in his tone.

The trio shared a look, then immediately scrambled for the partition. Mest got there first, and deftly tugged on it, disengaging the hooks that kept it in place, allowing them to see out the front. They squeezed in together, Loke crammed in against Mest, and Lucy practically climbing up both their backs to see the landscape that sprawled before them.

It took them a moment to spot it, but in the distance, built on the crest of the largest hill, was a massive stone building, towers jutting high into the sky, and surrounded by immense walls. It cut an impressive silhouette against the afternoon sun, though it was quickly disappearing from sight once more as they descended the hill they had crested.

The driver looked back at them, and laughed "I always love the look new recruits get the first time they see the brigade headquarters. Always a jaw-dropper. Just you wait til we get closer and head round the back. That's where the dragons are most times."

Lucy shook herself, and realized that her jaw had, in fact, dropped at the sight. For a moment, before the castle had fallen out of sight again, she thought she had seen a hint of the pearlescent scales of the ice clan dragon that had passed them by.

* * *

**EDIT: 3/19/17**

**THIS STORY HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN DISCONTINUED.**

Got tired of repeating myself everywhere so I'm adding this note here so people will stop asking, lol. As a side note, while I am abandoning this fic, it is only because I am hoping to turn it into an original novel, rather than a fanfic! That being the case, NO, this fanfic is not up for 'adoption' for any one else to complete. I will probably be deleting it here in the next couple of months; I'll just leave it up for awhile on the off chance any readers happen to come back and look at it occasionally.

Thanks for all the reviews and kudos on this story since I started it! Hopefully you'll find a full, original version in a bookstore near you some day soon ;D

**Author's Note:**

> And there we are, first chapter! As mentioned before, there won't be a regular update schedule for this, but please do leave a review letting me know what you thought regardless! Will definitely help keep me in the mood to work on it in my free time!


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